What to do if you lose your rig.

[Hunter216]

@Jackdaw recently posted a video of a fellow racer losing their rig and it got me thinking what I would do if that happened to me.

I would point out that with proper maintenance etc that should not happen but I’m sure the crew of the race boat didn’t plan on having a catastrophic event.

So assuming the rig is overboard, no one is injured and the sea state is reasonably safe how would you go about getting things “orderly” enough to motor to a safe location?

 

[rgranger]

I guess I would try to tie my rig off to the stanchions fore-aft and try to hoist it up out of the water a few inches. Then motor home with my tail between my legs.

 

[Meriachee]

I would point out that with proper maintenance etc that should not happen

With all due respect, there's an alternate reality statement.

 

[Jackdaw]

With all due respect, there's an alternate reality statement.

He's pretty much right.... 99% of rig failures on production boats are a maintenance/check issue. Might be higher.

 

[Hunter216]

I guess I would try to tie my rig off to the stanchions fore-aft and try to hoist it up out of the water a few inches. Then motor home with my tail between my legs.

Would you attempt taking the sail(s) off first? I know from windsurfing that the sail is really hard to move until you can get it to an angle where it’s not loaded with water.

 

[dlochner]

How you respond will depend on the size of the mast and the size of the crew. Hoisting a small light mast up and bringing it home is pretty easy.

If I should lose my 54' ~500lb mast, it is quite likely that I will assist its trip to the bottom and let Davey Jones take care of it.

 

[rgranger]

Would you attempt taking the sail(s) off first? I know from windsurfing that if the sail is really hard to move until you can get it to an angle where it’s not loaded with water.

If I could get in the water, I guess I would try to remove the boom (my sail is loose foot). I could cut the outhaul line and then the sail would fold in with the same line I'm using to lash the mast to the boat. I've never really thought about this scenario so... this is a valuable exercise.

 

[Jackdaw]

After you account for all persons, Job#1 is to conduct an inspection of fallen rig, and determine what risk it poses to the hull. Now look at how much sea-room you have. these two factors, along with the size of the rig, will determine your next step.

You may have to cut the whole thing away... rig cutters anyone?

Save the sail(s) if time allows, on boats like this it might make the difference on an insurance total or not.

Double triple check for lines/rigging in the water before starting the motor!

 

[Jackdaw]

 

[Hunter216]

With all due respect, there's an alternate reality statement.

Perhaps my phrasing was off. My intent was to say that if the rig is maintained then the likelihood of a dismasting is lower.

 

[Hunter216]

How you respond will depend on the size of the mast and the size of the crew. Hoisting a small light mast up and bringing it home is pretty easy.

If I should lose my 54' ~500lb mast, it is quite likely that I will assist its trip to the bottom and let Davey Jones take care of it.

Yes, I would guess that my entire rig, sails and all might not weigh as much as your mast. Hard to cut it loose though

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Here's a few variables to think about

• Is your rig sinking or sort of floating?
• What are the conditions? Do they allow you to swim?
• Are there any other dangers present or soon to be?
• Are you able to use your winches?

 

[capta]

This discussion is so dependent on the size of the boat, where it happens and the sea conditions, that it probably should be broken up into several sections.
I think the only thing common to all dismastings is that one shouldn't even think about starting the engine (if it is running, it could accidentally be put in gear) until every scrap of sail, inch of line and wire and the mast are either well secured aboard, or cut free and nowhere near the boat.
Needless to say, if we are beyond the aid of some vessel with a crane, our only option would be to cut our 2,000#+ rig free and let it sink, hopefully to be recovered some time in the future. For this we carry a 110 vac angle grinder, a box of disks and a few very sharp knives.

 

[Hunter216]

@Jackdaw and Jodi

Good on you both for stopping your race to ensure all was well. True sportsmanship!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

There is one important thing that most did not say except for @Jackdaw touched on. ACCOUNTING FOR ALL SAILORS AND THEIR INJURIES IF ANY FIRST. HE TOUCHED ON EVERYTHING ELSE. The rig would be the last thing. I once saw a mast fall hitting a man in the head falling overboard unconscious while others were arguing on failure and what to do. I jumped overboard clothes and all to save his life. Once the ambulance took him to emergency, then I let those idiots have it as the man could have died. I was on another boat nearby

 

[Hunter216]

My initial thoughts when I started pondering this was what are the priorities after I confirmed that no one was hurt. My instincts would be to try to salvage as much as I could while keeping the risk factor of injury or boat damage low.

My first choice I think would be to deploy the anchor, either it touches down or creates enough drag that the bow might come into the wind. This would create a somewhat safer platform to work on. Maybe this is wrong headed??

If I felt the “carnage” might create a sinking risk I would figure out how to cut it loose. (I’m going to put some hacksaw blades in my safety bag )

I don’t think I would risk going into the water in any circumstance as there would be a bunch of things to get tangled in.

If I went the salvage route I might try to attach some extra life jackets to the mast and/or boom to reduce the chances of them filling with water.

In the photos above it looks like they started at the bow as the forestay - furler was still attached and worked on getting the headsail out first, that would also likely let them get the jib sheets aboard and away from the prop. You could then make use of those sheets to help secure the “load”.

The mainsail - mast - boom would depend a lot on whether the mast had buckled or split in two. If the mast was in one piece I would think you should try to get the bottom end aboard far enough that you could pull the mainsail off.

In the photos it looks like the mast broke so it was likely more grab a handful and start pulling, adapting the plan as things evolved

 

[sloughsailer]

It happened to me.
It was during the Double handed Light Bucket race a few years ago. I was on my buddy's 32 foot tri and we had just rounded the light, which is about 12 miles or so outside the Golden Gate in the Gulf of the Farallons off San Francisco. We were about to put up the chute when a turnbuckle parted and the rig came down.

With no sails the boat's motion got very violent and I was afraid the wreckage of the now broken wooden mast was going to smash an ama as it rose up and then smashed down. The boats motion also triggered the skipper's motion sickness and he was pretty much occupied with puking and laying down on deck.

Our only tool was a hacksaw and I used that to cut enough of the shrouds to pull the sails and most of the mast onboard. I wanted to use the longest piece of mast to rig some kind of mast and whatever sail I could use to make some kind of rig. We had no useable motor. But the skipper had different ideas. And the way I look at it there is only one captain and right or wrong his orders are the law. Everyone trying to do something different ways results in nothing getting done.

He had me raise the boom on the foredeck and use pieces of halyard to guy it. And run the jib up sideways. Fortunately the prevailing wind blows from the west and it was howling that day.

This jury rig not only got us home, we finished the race and were not even last.

And the skipper's ideas worked better than mine would have.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Cruisers carry something to cut the rig free in the event of a dismasting. Many mistakenly carry bolt cutters for this but they won't work well. Wire/cable cutters with about 2 foot handles will work. Hack saws definitely work. But the best tool is a cordless angle grinder with a diamond cutting wheel. Gets through a shroud in seconds. Any a Ryobi one with a battery and charger is about $150. It will even work underwater for about 1 hour. Same for drills.

 

[dlochner]

Cruisers carry something to cut the rig free in the event of a dismasting. Many mistakenly carry bolt cutters for this but they won't work well. Wire/cable cutters with about 2 foot handles will work. Hack saws definitely work. But the best tool is a cordless angle grinder with a diamond cutting wheel. Gets through a shroud in seconds. Any a Ryobi one with a battery and charger is about $150. It will even work underwater for about 1 hour. Same for drills.

A cordless Dremel tool with a cutting wheel will also work, however the cutting wheels are easily broken.

 

[Jackdaw]

Cruisers carry something to cut the rig free in the event of a dismasting. Many mistakenly carry bolt cutters for this but they won't work well. Wire/cable cutters with about 2 foot handles will work. Hack saws definitely work. But the best tool is a cordless angle grinder with a diamond cutting wheel. Gets through a shroud in seconds. Any a Ryobi one with a battery and charger is about $150. It will even work underwater for about 1 hour. Same for drills.

We carry a hacksaw with a couple of bi-metal blades. It will work fine if ever needed and is a good compromise for a small and weight conscious boat. We offered it up, but they were able to work the turnbuckles to free the rig.